FDA Slams Door on Chinese Food Exports: Inspection Refusals Trigger Automatic Detentions

In a stark warning to Chinese food exporters, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued multiple automatic detention alerts in early November 2025, targeting firms from Ningxia to Fujian for serious compliance failures. Under Import Alert 99-32, three companies—including Anhui Dong Bao Food and Zhangzhou Zishan Food Industry—were flagged for refusing FDA inspections, a grave violation that triggers immediate shipment holds without testing.

Others faced detentions for pesticide residues: Ningxia Lihe Food’s dehydrated spinach powder contained bromoprophos, lambda-cyhalothrin, and haloxyfop, while Gui Nan Hong Company’s wampee plums exceeded sulfur dioxide limits.

These actions fall under FDA’s Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE) authority—meaning every future shipment from these firms will be blocked at U.S. ports until they prove compliance through third-party lab results and FDA reapproval. Refusing inspection is treated as an admission of non-compliance, making reinstatement arduous. For China’s agri-food sector, this signals tightening U.S. scrutiny and zero tolerance for opacity.